6. Vegetarian Fest

Vegetarians won’t hurt animals. But in the Thai town of Phuket, they’re more than eager to hurt themselves. For the nine days before Nov. 1, locals honor the Nine Emperor Gods by abstaining from meat. Instead, they indulge in self-mortification.

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People impale their cheeks with knives, skewers, umbrella poles and any sharp objects they can find.

Legend has it that the first vegetarian festival started two centuries ago when a group of traveling Chinese opera singers fell ill with malaria. They decided to stick to a vegetarian diet and prey to the nine gods. To everyone’s surprise, they survived this disease that killed scores in the 1800s.

Now, locals sacrifice their bodies in the vicinities of Chinese shrines throughout the island each year. They believe their offerings will bring about good health. Many report feeling no pain. However, dozens are injured each year and one person died in 2011.

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